Ceann Comhairle receives Report of the Forum on a Family-Friendly and Inclusive Parliament

The Forum was established earlier this year by the Ceann Comhairle to generate practical and achievable recommendations that could make the Houses of the Oireachtas a more inclusive, family friendly and gender sensitive workplace. Chaired by former TD, Dr Mary Upton, the Forum has 15 members and includes TDs, Senators, Oireachtas staff, political staff and outside experts.

In its report, the Forum makes 51 recommendations, with five areas which it says should be prioritised:

·        A Referendum to amend Article 15 of the Constitution to permit proxy voting and remote participation in some Dáil and Seanad business, as this would allow Members to take an equivalent to maternity, paternity and sick leave and it would also enable the Houses of the Oireachtas and Committees to reorganise the sitting weeks to move away from the long and unpredictable sitting hours.

The Forum believes that this would allow a greater diversity of people to consider standing for election;

·        The need to improve the gender balance and diversity on Oireachtas Committees in terms of membership, chairing Committees and in terms of the people giving evidence to the Committees. Given the detailed scrutiny work done by Committees, it is essential that different perspectives, especially gender perspectives, are fully considered;

Putting in place work practices that mitigate the very long, late and unpredictable hours that many staff work in order to serve sittings of the Houses. These could include additional staff, the use of rosters, and/or role re-design;

·        The need to track changes in the diversity of the parliamentary community through appropriate collection and reporting of data on the diversity of the Membership of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the civil service staff;

·        Measures to protect Members and their staff from violence and harassment in real life and online.

Receiving the report, the Ceann Comhairle said: “The presentation of this report is a milestone in the development of our National Parliament as a more inclusive, diverse and family friendly workplace. The Houses of the Oireachtas has more than 1,300 people working in various roles, from Members of both Houses and the political staff they employ, to the civil service staff who serve the Parliament, the journalists who report on Parliamentary proceedings, and contract staff.

Everyone working in the Oireachtas has family and a life outside their work. “I welcome these practical and hopefully achievable recommendations which I believe may help make a career in Parliament more attractive and accessible, by ensuring the Oireachtas is a welcoming and supportive working environment for all. I will be considering the recommendations, and bringing the Report to the Oireachtas Commission for it to consider how the recommendations may be implemented in a timely manner. I sincerely thank all the members of the Forum and its Chair, former Deputy Dr Mary Upton, for their commitment, expertise and dedication, over the last six months, to produce such a comprehensive, important report and its detailed recommendations.”

The Report of the Forum on a Family-Friendly and Inclusive Parliament is available on the Oireachtas website.